Tiny Doors ATL Makes Huge Design Statement
Mar 16, 2020
Great design is all in the details, no matter if it’s on something as small as a tube of ChapStick or on something as large as a billboard.
Design can have a major impact on people, no matter the size. That’s why we love Tiny Doors ATL.
This Atlanta-based art project started in 2014 when a seven-inch-tall door popped up at the bottom of a pillar in the Krog Street Tunnel in the neighborhood of Cabbagetown.
Other tiny doors started popping up around Atlanta, and the mystery was soon revealed. They were the work of artist Karen Anderson Singer (below), the founding director and principal artist of Tiny Doors ATL.
Atlanta residents soon got in on the fun, leaving tiny trinkets by the doors — a group of plastic cats by one, a jack-o-lantern at Halloween by another.
“Doors represent entry, and a Tiny Door is an invitation to enter and engage with your imagination,” Singer told us.
We’ve come across these doors in our time here in Atlanta, and aside from the initial fascination from a creative and artistic standpoint, we couldn’t help but be impressed by the design. It’s in our blood!
There are often challenges when you’re trying to make something stand out on a “tiny” item, be it a business card, a web banner ad or logo icon. We love a good challenge though!
By succeeding in that realm, Tiny Doors ATL has landed a national audience thanks to being profiled on CBS Sunday Morning, the Travel Channel, HLN and in Oprah Magazine.
And that got us thinking about branding.
That initial mystery that was created when the doors started popping up got people talking. There’s also a scavenger hunt quality to the project that makes people want to find more doors. For those not looking for them, there’s a pleasant surprise when they randomly come across one. How to give people the same feeling when they engage with a brand? That’s key.
Major brands have also taken notice of Tiny Doors, which accepts custom commissions for projects worldwide. Their recent clients have included Coca-Cola, Mizuno USA, Mailchimp, Marriott, Wolfgang Puck Catering and InterContinental Hotel Group.
Tiny Doors’ success is also a lesson in knowing your target audience. The doors aren’t just randomly placed around Atlanta. Singer only installs doors in neighborhoods that ask for them, and she and her team do upkeep on the doors for years afterward.
“Each door is designed to reflect and highlight what makes its environment unique,” she told us. “I spend up to a year for each door getting to know the architecture, colors and most importantly the spirit of the surrounding neighborhood. By reflecting and embracing what’s already there, I can create a space for the imagination of visitors.”
That’s why Singer calls Tiny Doors “a public art love-letter to Atlanta.”
Her comments call to mind what it’s like when we work with our clients. We evaluate the needs, identify the goals and craft a plan to achieve them.
There are now 18 Tiny Doors across the city. And Singer has successfully used social media to drive interest in the project. They have 115,000 followers on Instagram, where updates are posted on new doors, fun additions to existing doors, celebrity visits to the doors and more.
It’s another branding lesson that many companies would be wise to take note of.
The brand engagement continues, as Singer told us.
“It has been an incredible surprise, year after year, to find that people are still engaged and curious,” she said. “I find items in front of the doors left by visitors year-round.”
How can companies keep their customers consistently and happily engaged like Tiny Doors has done for its fans? Taking a page from Singer’s book, keeping customers happy comes from knowing the audience and approaching your message with a sense of curiosity and imagination.
There’s one final lesson that any company should pay attention to when it comes to Tiny Doors: don’t underestimate the possibilities.
“At the beginning of Tiny Doors ATL, with the installation of the first door, I could not have imagined that there were so many people who would identify with the purpose of the project,” Singer told us. “The success of Tiny Doors ATL proves that public art on any scale is capable of having a positive impact.”
We hope you liked getting to know Tiny Doors ATL. We’ll be highlighting other organizations, companies, brands and events in Atlanta that we love that are making waves in design in branding, so keep an eye on our website and social media channels!
